POS1493-HPR FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OCCURRENCE OF MENTAL DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE RHEUMATIC DISEASES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
Authors: R. V. Gamboa Cárdenas, J. Huarcaya-Victoria, M. F. Ugarte-Gil, C. Reategui Sokolova, V. Pimentel-Quiroz, F. Zevallos Miranda, M. Medina, Z. Rodriguez Bellido, R. Perich Campos, C. Pastor Asurza, G. S. Alarcon
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2022)

Background Mental disorders constitute a serious and underestimated problem in Latin America and they could have worse features in comparison with Europe or North America (1) ; that was the case even before the COVID-19 epidemic ensued in 2020. Objectives The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of mental health disorders (MHD) in patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease (ARD) from Perú, a high COVID-19 incidence country. Methods Patients with ARD from a single center (Hospital Guillermo Almenara -EsSalud, Lima-Perú) were included during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic (March to November 2020). Interviews, medical records reviews, and an electronic survey were performed. MHD explored were depression (assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9: PHQ-9), anxiety (ascertained with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7: GAD-7) and post-traumatic stress disorder: PTSD (evaluated with the Event Scale-Revised: IES-R). Variables examined were sociodemographic (age, gender, educational level, marital status, living alone, job status, religiosity), previous diagnosis and treatment for mental disorders, living with a COVID-19 patient, COVID-19 diagnosis (current or past), fear of COVID-19 (assessed with the COVID-19 Scale: FCV-19S) and the ARD type. Multivariable logistic regression models using backward elimination procedure were performed to determine the variables associated with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. (See Table 1). Table 1. Variables associated with depression, anxiety an PSTD on ARD patients: Multivariable analysis. Depression Anxiety PTSD variables OR (CI=95%) p value OR (CI95%) p value OR (CI95%) p value Previous treatment for mental disorders 2.35 (1.37-4.0)3 0.002 2.42 (1.37-4.26) 0.002 2.42 1.39-4.21 0.002 Fear for COVID-19 1.07 (1.05-1.10) &lt;0.001 1.09 (1.06-1.12) &lt;0.001 1.41 1.11-1.17 &lt;0.001 COVID-19 diagnosis NS NS 1.75 1.06-2.89 0.028 Educational level University/postgraduate High School NS 0.43 (0.82-0.21) 0.009 NS Elementary NS 0.52 (0.28-0,95) Ref. 0.032 NS Marital status Single NS NS 0.57 (0.34-0.96) 0.033 Divorced/separate NS NS 1.02 (0.73-1.41) 0.919 Results Nine hundred and thirteen ARD patients were evaluated. The most frequent diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis in 446(48.8%) patients followed by systemic lupus erythematosus in 279 (30.6%). Depression, anxiety, and PTSD were observed in 128 (14.0%), 112 (12.30%) and 485 (53.1%) patients, respectively. In the multivariable analyses, previous treatment for mental disorders and fear of COVID-19 were associated with depression: OR=2.35 (95% CI 1.37-4.03; p=0.002) and OR=1.07 (95% CI 1.05-1.10; p&lt;0.001) respectively; also with anxiety: OR= 2.42 (95% CI 1.37-4.26; p=0.002) and OR=1.09 (95% CI 1.06-1.12; p &lt;0.01) and with PSTD: OR=2.42 (95% CI 1.39-4.21;p=0.002) and OR=1.41 (95% CI=1.11-1.17; p&lt;0.001). A diagnosis of COVID-19 was associated with PTSD: OR=1.75 (95% CI 1.06-2.89, p=0.028), while being single was associated with a decreased probability of PTSD occurrence: OR=0.57 (95% CI=0.35-0.96; p=0.03). Finally, having a high educational level was associated with less anxiety: OR=0.43 (95% CI=0.82-0.21; p=0.009), for university /postgraduate studies and OR=0.52 (CI 95%=0.28-0.95; p=0.032) for secondary studies. Conclusion Fear of COVID-19 and previous treatment for mental disorder were associated with all MHD explored on our ARD patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. References [1]Zhang S. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):2001192. Disclosure of Interests None declared